This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
ca. 10.5 cm textual material (logbooks, scrapbooks)
23 maps
History / Biographical
Gisela Heimbach Mendel was the first curator of the Kitimat Museum and Archives (then known as the Kitimat Centennial Museum). She was born in Germany in 1922 and worked as a pharmacist in East Prussia when the Russians invaded. She fled the Russians and immigrated to Canada in 1952 with her husband, Hans, and their children. Unhappy with the geography of Southern Ontario - in her words, she was a "mountain woman" - she chose Kitimat as her home.
In her earliest years in Kitimat (beginning 1956), Gisela collected botanical specimens for the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. She served as the first curator of the Kitimat Centennial Museum from the building's opening in 1969 until her retirement in 1981, when she and Hans moved to Smithers. Gisela was responsible for not only showcasing local art and history, but building a strong and varied permanent collection of artifacts and archival items upon which future curators could build.
As she was working in a relatively young community, town history was not considered a priority so much as regional history, natural history and Haisla First Nations cultural traditions, which Gisela documented with great intensity. One of her projects was creating an ethno-botanical dictionary with the help of Haisla elders, identifying the Haisla names and traditional uses for various plants. In 1972, the Northern Sentinel reported that each weekend Gisela made the rounds of her secret botanical hunting grounds to replace the display of floral specimens in her exhibits. She was a tremendous record-keeper and journalist, had a great life of the outdoors, and developed many close friendships in Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. Her thirst for information was incredible, and the Museum and the community benefitted immensely from her passion for gathering and recording knowledge. In the 1990s she received the Award of Merit from the BC Museums Association in recognition of her work. She passed away in 2008.
Custodial History
Materials in this fonds were created by Gisela Mendel during her time as Museum Curator, or donated by her, her family members, or other community members following her retirement.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
23 maps of northwestern British Columbia, from the Seven Sisters westward to Port Essington.
2018.9.1a-b – Seven Sisters / Dorreen
2018.9.2a-c – Usk / Chist Creek
2018.9.3a-c – Lakelse / Terrace
2018.9.4a-b – Alastair Lake
2018.9.5a-b – Salvus, Coast District Range 5
2018.9.6a-d – Ecstall River / Port Essington
2018.9.7a-g – Kitimat Arm, Kildala River, Mt. Aetna, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Davies, private logging roads
Maps were collected and annotated by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in northwest BC and donated to the Museum in 2018.
Scope and Content
23 maps of northwestern British Columbia, from the Seven Sisters westward to Port Essington.
2018.9.1a-b – Seven Sisters / Dorreen
2018.9.2a-c – Usk / Chist Creek
2018.9.3a-c – Lakelse / Terrace
2018.9.4a-b – Alastair Lake
2018.9.5a-b – Salvus, Coast District Range 5
2018.9.6a-d – Ecstall River / Port Essington
2018.9.7a-g – Kitimat Arm, Kildala River, Mt. Aetna, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Davies, private logging roads
Book of poetry by Hubert Evans. Themes include Indigenous peoples, conflict between old and new ways of living, coastal life, and nature. Book has a light blue cover and is 54 pages long.
Physical Condition
Good
Condition Remarks
Pgs. 27-30 are loose and held together by tape.
Height
22 cm
Width
0.8 cm
Length
13.2 cm
Accession Number
979.34
Biographical Notes
Hubert Evans and his family lived amongst the Haisla in Kitimaat Village for 2 1/2 years in the late 1940s. His wife Anna taught at the day school there. Evans wrote many books, short stories, plays, and serials, including "Mist on the River," a novel about a young Gitksan man (see Notes).
A tri-fold promotional pamphlet made by N.W. HULLAH Corporation Ltd. to sell Hullah homes in Kitimat. The pamphlet introduces 6 new floor plans and lists the details of what is included in the new houses. The front of the pamphlet has a black and white picture of a Hullah house.
A tri-fold promotional pamphlet made by N.W. HULLAH Corporation Ltd. to sell Hullah homes in Kitimat. The pamphlet introduces 6 new floor plans and lists the details of what is included in the new houses. The front of the pamphlet has a black and white picture of a Hullah house.
(4 copies) An aluminum coin with an the alcan logo at the top with 3 leaves beside it and markings underneath that read "KITIMAT CANADA" On the otherside there's a picture of canada in the middle with markings near the border: "ALUMINUM COMPANY OF CANADA LTD"
A Menu card for Alcan's christmas dinner in 1957. At the front there is a picture of a winter landscape with trees and mountains as well as writing at the right side "Souvenir Menu Christmas Dinner at Kitimat B.C. December 25th 1957" inside the card is the menu as well as messages from managers from the aluminum company. Christmas message from Crawley and Mccracken at the back
A Menu card for Alcan's christmas dinner in 1957. At the front there is a picture of a winter landscape with trees and mountains as well as writing at the right side "Souvenir Menu Christmas Dinner at Kitimat B.C. December 25th 1957" inside the card is the menu as well as messages from managers from the aluminum company. Christmas message from Crawley and Mccracken at the back
An aluminum menu for the "31st Annual Convention" chamber of commerce luncheon on Aug. 25, 1962. The menu includes a list of dishes, the sponsor and who will be attending like the chairman and guest speakers
An aluminum menu for the "31st Annual Convention" chamber of commerce luncheon on Aug. 25, 1962. The menu includes a list of dishes, the sponsor and who will be attending like the chairman and guest speakers
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 33rd Annual Convention Evening Banquet taking place in Kitimat. it includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 33rd Annual Convention Evening Banquet taking place in Kitimat. it includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 35th Annual Convention Presidents Banquet taking place in Kitimat. it includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 35th Annual Convention Presidents Banquet taking place in Kitimat. it includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 43rd Annual Meeting Evening Banquet taking place in Kitimat. It includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting, and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Chamber of Commerce 43rd Annual Meeting Evening Banquet taking place in Kitimat. It includes the date, place, menu items, people who are hosting, and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Centennial Ball taking place in Kitimat for the CMP from Prince Rupert. It includes the date, The guests, menu items, program activities, people who are hosting, and sponsor.
An Aluminum menu for the Centennial Ball taking place in Kitimat for the CMP from Prince Rupert. It includes the date, The guests, menu items, program activities, people who are hosting, and sponsor.
A menu of the Burns Supper 1980 Programme. The front includes an illustration of a man, inside has menu items and guests, and lastly the back has a village house illustration.
A menu of the Burns Supper 1980 Programme. The front includes an illustration of a man, inside has menu items and guests, and lastly the back has a village house illustration.
Two copies of a rectangular ground glass with three measurment markings "56 x 72" "9x12" "4x5" each of the markings have their respective rectangular markings. There is a crosshair in the middle. The brand in unknown. They are most likely used for large format cameras.
Two copies of a rectangular ground glass with three measurment markings "56 x 72" "9x12" "4x5" each of the markings have their respective rectangular markings. There is a crosshair in the middle. The brand in unknown. They are most likely used for large format cameras.
A guest book with a handmade wood burned cover commissioned by Heidi Born, both covers are wood with a green felt inside. The front reads "40th ANNIVERSARY Kitimat-Kemano Our 40th Anniversary" Inside there are large stacks of light brown lined paper with names of people and dates of when they joined the smelter.
A guest book with a handmade wood burned cover commissioned by Heidi Born, both covers are wood with a green felt inside. The front reads "40th ANNIVERSARY Kitimat-Kemano Our 40th Anniversary" Inside there are large stacks of light brown lined paper with names of people and dates of when they joined the smelter.
Physical Condition
Fair
Material
Wood
felt
paper
metal
Condition Remarks
The connecting piece is missing, so the book is only connected by one bolt.
A brown small guidebook of how to pronounce Canadian places. The front cover reads "A guide to the pronunciation of CANADIAN PLACE NAMES A CBC PUBLICATION" inside there are town names and their proper pronunciation.
A brown small guidebook of how to pronounce Canadian places. The front cover reads "A guide to the pronunciation of CANADIAN PLACE NAMES A CBC PUBLICATION" inside there are town names and their proper pronunciation.
